Watashi o matte
by Lilbakasaru
Summary: The war seemed endless, but their meeting changed everything. Follow the story of their life, love and their bitter sweet parting. MinKyuu. Side story to 'My One & Only'. Yaoi, mpreg, humour, angst
1. A dream

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Naruto characters!**

**WarningL Yaoi, future mpreg, violence, angst, bad humour, etc**

_And here it the long awaited side story to 'My One and Only' . _

_This fic is about how Kyuubi and Minato met, fell in love, and changed the destiny of their world!_

_Beta read by Lanie12777_

_Enjoy!_

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Chapter 1: A dream…

There was a thing about quiet mornings that could really bring out the best in people. Getting up when you felt like it, having time to lounge around in your bedding to simply admire the quiet. To give yourself time to think, to plan your day ahead, or just enjoy the rare moments where it was just you in the world, and nothing else existed. Only silence as your companion.

Too bad this morning wouldn't be like that at all.

"Wake up," red black-tipped ears twitched in recognition, but nothing else happened.

"Wake up," a grunt was the reply, and the person lying in the futon turned around with a groan.

"WAKE UP YOU BAKA!" a foot came out of nowhere, kicking the sleeping demon out of his futon.

There was a shriek as the demon was pushed onto the hard ground with a loud thud. "Urgh… so mean, Fugaku…," came a sleepy moan.

The wolf demon scowled and put his hands on his hips. "If you had gotten up when I told you to then I wouldn't have to be so 'mean'."

The other demon chuckled and threw the tangled covers off his body. Elegantly he stood up, straightening out his cotton yukata before smiling down at the ookami. "Really Fugaku, is it such a bad thing that I get some extra sleep?"

"You should have thought of that before you partied all night," the wolf growled and turned around to walk out of the room.

"Aww, Fugaku-chan~," he whined back, trying to sound cute. Which he utterly failed in.

Fugaku growled angrily, gritting his sharp canine together. "Don't act like a child, Kyuubi; now get dressed, they are waiting for you," he replied and left the room, with the door closing behind him with a bang.

Kyuubi smiled as he watched his friend leave, and he waited 'til he was sure that the other was gone before the smile slipped off his slender face. Tiredly he turned around and stepped into the adjoining bathroom beside his room. The Ofuka was already filled with heated water; his sensitive nose tingled when he scented the sweetness of jasmine and tangerine oils in the steam.

Slowly he slipped off the cotton yukata and undid the bindings holding his hair up in knots, so that crimson locks cascaded down his back. The Kitsune raked his nails through them to untangle any final knots before he climbed into the water, making sure to fan out his hair so that the strands floated around him like bloody trails.

A relived sigh left Kyuubi as he buried himself until his shoulders were submerged, relishing the pleasant tingle of the water against his skin. His crimson eyes staring musingly at the cloudy liquid, slowly he flexed his long clawed fingers, watching how the nails broke the surface, only to dip back down when he spread them out.

"What a start…" he whispered.

The night before him had been quite hectic; he smiled as he remembered back to it. Fugaku had been so angry at him when he ran out of that meeting and got drunk with some rather lovely cougar demonesses. Ooh, they certainly knew how to celebrate, he thought to himself with a lick of his lips.

Maybe that's why Fugaku had kicked him out of his bed so angrily. It probably wasn't the best idea for him to bring a few of them back to his room. At least unlike last time they had left before daybreak. Yes he was a player, he wouldn't deny it; there hadn't been an occasion when there hadn't been a pretty submissive in his arms, and then later on in his bed.

But last night he'd had the oddest dream, a dream that had him confused about his current lifestyle. Normally he would have written it off as another sake-induced hallucination, yet there was something about this one that made his heart shudder and his skin tingle pleasantly at the thought.

He couldn't help but smile, and then took a deep breath of air before dunking himself into the water.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Fugaku stared blankly at the now fully dressed Kitsune general; he wore a charcoal black long sleeved kimono depicting a drawing made through yuzen-resistant dye. It depicted a delicate drawing of Sakura branches falling over his shoulders, a multi-coloured phoenix flying across his chest, and at the bottom of the long material white water lilies reaching up daintily from the surface of water. His long red hair was tied up in a series of knots that were twined with silky orange ribbons, so that it looked like fire. All kept together with one of his favourite headdresses, the one that looked like flowers cut from ruby.

"Took you long enough," he stated irritatingly.

Kyuubi chuckled and put his arm around the wolf's shoulder. "Looking this good takes time."

Fugaku snorted and shrugged the other's arm off. "You should know not to keep the council waiting," he said and led the way.

The Kitsune gave a barking laugh. "I've never been one to care about their opinions!"

"You honestly will get into trouble one day with that attitude…" Fugaku grumbled; he couldn't understand ho Kyuubi could be so carefree. There was a war going on, and the general didn't even care.

"Aw Fu-chan, you always worry about me!" he shouted and tackled the wolf. Fugaku growled and tried to pry the other youkai off him.

"Stop acting like a kittling Kyuubi, if the council sees you -"

"Alright, alright," Kyuubi pouted, and straightened his clothes out again. "So what is this meeting about?"

The wolf sighed and ran his hand through his black hair. "Since you decided to run out of the last meeting, we are going to repeat the meeting again _just_ for you…"

"I thought that we sorted the strategy of attack out, in the end all we are doing is rushing at them with all we have… like always."

The wolf couldn't deny that, that was true; in every meeting the idea was always the same. Rush the humans and overthrow them with all they had. It didn't mean however that Kyuubi had to keep running away, or that he had to be the Kitsune's keeper and always retrieve him when he ran away. Honestly he didn't know why he had to babysit this overgrown child… even though technically Kyuubi was older than him.

They came to stand in front of a set of heavy double-doors, two inu-youkai opened them and they stepped through into the great hall where the council waited for them.

The great hall was known as the war room; it was large with a high ceiling, with elaborate tapestry depicting their history. With large arched windows that let the sunlight stream through, if the meeting was held at night time, there were torches lined along the wall. In the middle of the room was a large table, with a map stretched over it with small polished figurines to depict all the different sides.

The council members, demons that were the heads of the different youkai clans, were crowded around the table. They all looked up when they heard the doors creak open, greeting them with a short bow.

"Kyuubi-san, it is good to see you," came a stern voice.

Kyuubi sneered at the head of the Uchiha clan; Fugaku's father was a cruel youkai with greying hair, his furry ears hued silver in the light. Just like most Uchiha he had an expressionless face, a hard jaw and black steel eyes, with a few lines of wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. Uchiha Kamin, yet unlike his name he was anything but joyful. Then again he never liked this guy… always being so prickly… and so damn serious.

"Good to see you too, Kamin," he replied with a bow.

"Fugaku you may leave," the young wolf bowed and left the room with the door closed behind him.

Kyuubi watched dejectedly as Fugaku left; even though the demon was the next in line to the Uchiha clan, he wasn't yet allowed to attend any of the meetings, because his father didn't allow him. In the end Fugaku ended up being an errand boy for his father.

"Alright then, let us get this meeting started," came the Hyuuga's voice, breaking up the tension in the room.

Kyuubi snorted and turned away from the older Uchiha and made his way towards the table, taking his place near the end of the table. The Kitsune never had any interest in these meetings, heck he didn't even care about this whole war with the humans. In his opinion it was all just a joke. He wasn't even participating in the actual fighting, only stood there to support.

"KyuubI-san, please pay attention." His red eyes glanced at the other council members with pure annoyance. "This is important!"

"Why, all that's going to happen is that we rush them…"

"Yes, but you are going to fight today."

The Kitsune couldn't help but grin; his crimson eyes flashed eerily. "You are actually letting me fight?"

"I'm sure you're tired of sitting around doing nothing…" came Kamin's snide reply.

Kyuubi didn't take the bait, instead he stood up; he regarded the council members with great amusement. They were taken aback by the sudden giddy excitement that they recognized within the fox.

"Sure, I love a good bloodbath," and he turned around to leave the room.

Fugaku looked up when he saw the fox open the door; he arched a delicate eyebrow when he noticed how giddy the other looked.

"I'm guessing you got some good news?" he asked as he followed behind.

"Yeah, very good news in fact," Kyuubi replied with a grin. "I'll be able to have some fun." Fugaku frowned when he noticed that crazy look on the fox's face.

There had always been this notion that the Kitsune General tip-toed the lines between sanity and lunacy. One moment he was this silly irresponsible cub-like youkai that drove him mad with his antics. Then the next thing he knew he became this fearsome bloodthirsty monster, destroying everything in his path as he went berserk. But it became even more eerie when he was just quiet, because then you knew that he wasn't just killing for 'fun'…

In essence Kyuubi was a weapon… a last resort.

He may go to the front lines, but not once did he actually fight. Kyuubi often remarked how the humans weren't really even worth his time, but Fugaku guessed he was getting impatient.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

There is this wide forest separating Hi no Kuni (Fire country), where the youkai resided, and the Kaminari no Kuni (Lightning country) where the humans made their home. Well at least it used to be a forest. Now it was just a barren wasteland where countless lives, both human and youkai, have been lost. Their fallen bodies left in the trenches to fester, and their blood turning the ground into a disgusting consistency. The air always stunk like rot and decay, with the wind only carrying the message of death.

This was _Shoyū-sha no nai tochi_.

No-man's-land…

Fugaku's sharp charcoal eyes surveyed the land with something akin to disgust.

He didn't see why they had to keep drawing the fight out for so long. They should have ended this war before it even had a chance to escalate at this rate. Humans, as pathetic of a race they were, were also quick learners. They understood that demons had the upper hand because they had the ability to control chakra, and make jutsu's. Or as the humans called them, spells. At first all the fleshy creatures had were their melee instruments, swords, and arrows. Not much use against youkai magic. They occasionally got lucky with their crafty and dishonourable ways, like when attacking during mating season. Forcing them to make potions to counteract the effects of heat.

But humans moved up in their attacks; some leaned how to use and process their own inner chakra, which put the humans almost in the same league as the demons.

It was frustrating really, thinking of this unending war and back to his own situation at home. Mikoto wanted another child, but he was worried. He didn't know what could happen in the future so he didn't want to risk her being pregnant and possibly being alone. He let out a heavy sigh and ran his hand through his long black hair, which drew Kyuubi's attention to him.

"Everything alright?"

Wearily Fugaku turned around to give his companion an irritated stare. "Not really, Mikoto wants another child…"

"Ah, another child would be a good thing for your family," Kyuubi commented, almost sage-like.

Fugaku couldn't help but arch a delicate eyebrow at that statement, Kyuubi usually tried to avoid all things family related. He was the born bachelor, so for him to actually agree with Mikoto about him having a larger family was just out of place.

"What brought this on?" he asked.

Kyuubi looked unsure how to reply. He fidgeted with the sleeve of his kimono, as if he was embarrassed by what he had said. "I had this dream, in that Inari came to me and said that I could have any wish…"

Inari was worshiped as the god of luck, but to foxes he had an even deeper meaning. "And what did you wish for? More females? An endless supply of sake-"

"A family."

The Ookami choked on his own spittle; he coughed and wheezed and hit against his chest to lessen the discomfort. The Kitsune blushed and whined throatily. "Fu-chan, stop doing that, it's embarrassing!"

"Why would you wish for something like that?" he finally managed to ask.

"I know that wishing 'that' is so out of place for me, I'm normally not the type to want a family… but then that dream made me think…"

"About what?"

"That maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea being with someone forever…"

"I can't imagine you being with anyone for more than a day," Fugaku replied.

Kyuubi gave him a toothy grin. "Well I don't have to start with a family now… there is still some time to have fun," he implied lewdly.

"Ugh… you never change," the ookami muttered, ignoring the laughing fox beside him.

He returned back to staring at the barren landscape in front of him. The sound of a horn blared in the background… it was about to start.

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_Tell me what you think?_

_Review and join the dark side, we have cookies!_


	2. When I see you

_And here is the second chapter sorry it took so long, and also that this chapter is so short. I'm not too good at writing battle scenes so I found this chapter kinda difficult. Hope you still enjoy it still. _

_Beta read by Lanie12777_

_Enjoy!_

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Chapter 2: When I see you

These were desperate times, a world at the brink of destruction, and here he was searching for his idiotic so-called 'leader'. Jiraiya ran his fingers through his white mane, he was really too damn old to be still playing warden to that brat. Even at 24 he still liked to shrug away his duties. Not that he himself was any better really, any willing curvy skirt was game, but when responsibility came knocking he was ready to take it on.

Unlike this brat.

"I'll wring your neck, when I get my hands on you," he muttered angrily. Running out of a meeting, how dare he?

Loud footsteps echoed through cavernous halls as he walked through them in search for his ward. He climbed a set of spiral stairs leading up the tower to the only room occupying the top. The boy would always run here when he got scared or confused, to the room at the top of the tower overlooking the edge of the city, the forest and valley beyond it, and the endless blue sky above it.

And there he stood, in front of the open window, medium-length blonde hair waving in the breeze. A long white coat hung lazily over his shoulders, black vest, and cargo pants tugged into high boots. Jiraiya stopped at the open doorway and simply stared at the younger man in front of him; a heavy wave of sadness could be felt coming of the blonde, and suddenly all the frustration he had been feeling before simply left him.

"How could they ask me to do that?" the blonde asked, not turning around.

"It was only a suggestion…" Jiraiya replied.

The blonde snorted. "As if they ever simply make a 'suggestion'," he replied and finally turned to regard the older man.

No matter how many times he saw them, Jiraiya was always taken aback by how blue those eyes were, as if the sky itself made its home there. The young man had a slender, lightly tanned face, which was now scrunched up in a forlorn look.

"Minato, they're only doing what they think is best."

"By asking me to marry Kushina and breed like a bloody stud horse!" he shouted, slamming his hands against the brick wall.

Jiraiya sighed, he didn't agree with the council but they had a point, with the war growing ever bigger they wanted to ensure that there would be someone to take over. "Minato…"

"She's like a little sister to me, my best friend, who already has a lover; they plan to marry, and I am meant to take that all away from her because some old men 'suggested' it?" he ranted.

"You know that they won't force you-"

"'Yet', that is the one underlying factor. They haven't forced me '_yet'_, soon they will give me the ultimatum… and then…" he trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

The older man sighed and stepped inside the room. Minato hadn't moved from his spot; he was glaring almost frightfully at the ground. Jiraiya hadn't seen the blonde like this since he was a child. Like many children of Minato's generation, he was made to grow up quickly and to be ready to take on responsibility, but to see his student now with this childlike fear in his clear blue eyes, the fear of the unknown, almost broke Jiraiya's heart.

"You shouldn't think about that now, when it comes it will come, and then we'll figure out how to handle it," he said, trying to reassure him. "There are more important things to think about now."

Minato sighed heavily and nodded, he let Jiraiya steer him out of the room and down the stairs, and he was silent throughout the journey. His mind filled with so many muddled thoughts that he couldn't make heads or tails out of anything. He knew why the council was pushing this decision; because of some silly prophecy they had heard from an old dying witch.

"_And the King shall find his fiery counterpart and give birth to the light that shall crush the approaching darkness…" _

Bullshit.

He wasn't the superstitious kind, so obviously he didn't believe a word that she was saying, but the council took it seriously. He was supposed to be the 'King', with Kushina being his 'fiery counterpart'. Yes she had a fiery personality, and the hair to match, but those were just coincidences, nothing substantial that would suddenly mean that he would have to marry his best friend, and he knew that the council wouldn't drop this issue either. They thought that the 'approaching darkness' meant the war, and one of his kids would defeat the demons and end this war.

Tch, as if he would bring a child into this war-torn world.

He didn't want to think about it, it felt like his head was about to explode. Jiraiya was right; he should stop thinking about all of this. He had to assemble the troops and make sure that everyone was prepared and ready. They had to march out again to the Valley of the End for another day of fighting, everyone was tired, and this endless battle was slowly turning the soldiers against each other. They wanted this war to end. Most of them knew no other kind of lifestyle. This had to conclude soon or it would backfire and possibly even cause the end of them all.

Wonderful, another thing to add to the ever-growing list of problems.

Minato sighed as he stepped out into the courtyard; everyone was already waiting for him. They bowed in greeting at the blonde man, and he greeted them back. This was just another day out in 'No Man's Land'.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Kyuubi ran his clawed hands through his long flowing hair, his crimson eyes surveying the scene in front of him. He was standing on a small hill overlooking the chaos beneath him. It was literally a blood bath, but it did nothing to stimulate him. He was looking for a challenge and what he saw here did not oppose a threat. Kyuubi frowned, clicking his tongue in irritation, then turned to look at the wolf beside him.

"I'm bored," he stated.

"You can't back out now, it is an order," Fugaku replied.

"But there is nothing here…" the fox whined.

"Stop being picky and just get in there…" the wolf growled, and jumped off the hill with his sword drawn.

The fox watched as Fugaku landed right in the middle of the battle, swinging his katana around with deadly accuracy. Kyuubi sighed and jumped down as well, but at a more weary state, clearly showing his lack of enthusiasm. He landed gently on the soiled ground and quickly raised his foot to kick an oncoming attacker away. He 'tsk'ed and kept on walking, ducking to the side to avoid arrows and throwing knives, and swatting away humans that stepped into his sight.

Boring, boring, boring.

He wasn't even building up a sweat-WHOOOSH!

Kyuubi ducked out of the way when he saw a whirling blue ball aimed at him, which exploded behind him, blasting hot air and smoke at his face. When the cloud of dust died down Kyuubi glanced behind him, and his red eyes widened when he saw the crater that the ball created. Then he turned to look at his attacker.

It was a man, a human, with sunshin- blonde hair fluttering in the breeze, a white coat with a fiery emblem down the side waving behind. The man stood straight, sky blue eyes staring down at Kyuubi with an astonished look. For some reason all the sound around them seemed to fade away, the brawl and bloodshed ignored and didn't seem to exist. Only they were left behind in this seemingly endless existence.

Kyuubi couldn't help but grin when he felt the aura surrounding the man; he hadn't ever felt this much chakra coming off a human, and it excited him. The look the human held, unlike most of those inferior species this man didn't show any fear regarding him, but instead fierce determination.

Slowly he flexed his long claws in anticipation, grinding his sandaled feet into the muddy ground. The blonde did the same; the small twitchy movements indicated that he was just as ready to attack.

A glance, and they collided.

Anybody who looked on would only see a blur of red and white, but inside it was something a lot more beautiful.

Kyuubi's hands were coated in red chakra as he clawed and punched at the blonde, who blocked and weaved out of the way, returning with his own attacks. It was like a deadly dance, the wind zooming around them confining them in a sort of capsule so that they were cut off from outside interferences. Every brush, and graze against the blonde's exposed skin sent a bolt of electricity through his body, his senses fine tuning onto the prey, and the manic grin returned to Kyuubi's face.

This felt good, so damn good.

Everything about this human felt so good; he was different, nothing like the others.

So refreshing.

They sprang apart, breathing heavily. Kyuubi with his crazed grin, while Minato still held that mesmerized look on his face.

"Tell me your name, human," he said, his voice only hinting at his own excitement.

"Namikaze Minato… and yours?" he asked.

"Kyuubi no Kitsune."

"Well Kyuubi we should make this an honourable fight, shall we?" it wasn't a question, it wasn't an order either. But instead it was a playful suggestion, and with that smile the blonde carried Kyuubi couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yes… we shall."

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_Review and join the dark side we have cookies!_


	3. Like falling

_I am sorry for such a long wait, to be honest I did almost forget about this fic. It has been such a long time, but I hope to be better and update this fic more often. Also by the end of today I'm changing the fic name to __**Watashi o matte**__ (Waiting for me), it fits better. Hope you all enjoy what I have so far!_

_Beta read by Kuro Mitsu!_

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Chapter 3: Like falling

You'd never see the stars like these on a normal night, or at least Kyuubi had never noticed them like he had now. Legends say that if you wish upon a star hard enough the gods would grant it to you. He had many wishes, but he didn't know if they would ever come true…

Kyuubi was sitting at the edge of the camp away from everyone else, just watching the dark sky above him and wondering why he had never noticed the simple beauty of things. He guessed he had a bigger appreciation of these things now, especially after meeting that human. Why that human elicited such 'emotions' in him he didn't know.

The Kitsune general bit his bottom lip at the thought of the little blonde human, such an exotic little creature; too bad that their fight had been cut short so suddenly. Something had happened at the other side of the battlefield, which meant that the human ran away to help whoever was in trouble. Such a caring trait he found admirable, even if he also felt slightly slighted by the human by being ignored like that.

In the end Kyuubi had become bored of standing there doing nothing. So he had also left. His head filled with nothing but the blonde-haired man.

This battle had ended now, literally coming to a standstill with too many tired and wounded soldiers on either side. There was no point in going on. Right now they were all resting and getting healed, while he himself was…

"Are you listening to me?"

…was getting his precious ears talked off.

Kyuubi looked down at the irritated wolf in front of him; even since he had walked off the battlefield Fugaku had not been happy. He had followed Kyuubi and had been berating and shouting at him for at least two hours. Telling him off about how irresponsible he was, that he should have helped out more, how he should have simply ended the battle instead of playing around with a simple human.

The Kitsune didn't reply; how was he meant to explain that he was having fun to someone so serious? Fugaku wouldn't understand. He always acted like he had a stick up his ass.

The wolf's shoulders dropped; he sighed and wiped his face in an act of defeat. "What are you doing, Kyuubi? Just what the hell are you doing?" he asked, looking so tired. "We could have won; we could have finally ended this war…"

Kyuubi stared at him for a while, but he didn't answer which only managed to aggravate the ookami more. Fugaku growled angrily; he kicked some random pebbles and stomped off back to the campsite, leaving Kyuubi alone again. The Kitsune sighed, he knew he should have replied to Fugaku but he couldn't explain himself. He wasn't the type to simply fight without reason, and if it meant he could see the little human again then he would hold back from the bloodshed.

He turned back to look up at the stars again, trying to relax. Sighing as a cool breeze ruffled his loose locks, carrying with it something special.

Something familiar… something very human. His little human…

Kyuubi turned to look back at the camp, but the scent was downwind so the demons in the camp shouldn't be able to smell the human. With a grin on his face he went towards the edge of the ravaged forest where the scent emanated from. He tensed the muscles in his thighs, concentrating chakra to them, and jumped inside the dead foliage. Sprinting past the scraggily trees, jumping upon branches, simply letting the scenery zoom past him.

It didn't take the redhead long; he could cover vast distances in a matter of minutes. His sharp eyes noticed how the skeletal trees seem to space out; he was reaching the other side so he slowed down until he was only walking. He must be close to the human territory, the stench of their flesh and blood was stinking up all around this area, but there seemed to be a barrier around it. Kyuubi noticed the talismans scattered around the perimeter; it would keep him out, but he could still watch and listen.

He saw the little human there, his little human. His blonde hair a little dull in the darkness, but his blue eyes still smouldered with that inner fire that sent tremors down Kyuubi's spine.

Yet the little human seemed angry about something, furious in fact, pacing up and down, stomping his legs on the ground, scowling and snarling whispered words.

"They can't expect me to do this, not now! Of all the things that they ask of me, why this?" the blonde snapped.

"Having to make me go through this, worse, forcing her to comply. Tch, for the good of the human race, my ass! How can they ask me to marry her!" he shouted, wringing his hands through his spiky hair.

'Marriage'? So it seemed like the little human was being forced into something he didn't want, a binding contract with another human. For some reason the thought of it enraged him. He felt it in the pit of his stomach, a boiling rage that was just about spilled over. Who was this pitiful thing to lay claim on this man? No one else would be worthy, no one else would deserve him!

Kyuubi shook his head, trying to get rid of those thoughts; he shouldn't think like that about a stupid little human. Humans were weak, they broke so easily… but this little creature wasn't, and it was his strength that the Kitsune general wanted to possess to eat. Eating up his chakra, letting the taste filter through his tongue. It was exquisite and new, enticing his senses, flaring up his emotions and in so bringing him to new excitement.

This little human belonged to _him, and_ he would kill that bitch if she got in the way!

He didn't notice how his chakra flared up, but the blonde did.

Suddenly the blonde stopped his pacing and turned to look in the direction Kyuubi was hiding; he saw how the human's body tensed as he detected the foreign chakra just behind those skeletal trees. Blue eyes squinting through the darkness, but even without any foliage the forest was dense, not that it being nighttime helped. The darkness blanketed around him, he looked from side to side, his hand going into his pocket to retrieve a kunai, gripping the cool metal between his fingers.

"Come out, I know you are here!" he shouted out into the darkness.

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't…" came the cool reply.

The blonde gasped when he saw the figure rise from the shadows, even at nighttime his ruby-red hair and eyes seemed to glow. It was that demon Kyuubi if he remembered; did he follow him here? did he want a fight? Minato wondered if he could fight the demon off.

That last battle with the Kitsune had drained him to the point of collapse; it was only because he heard Jiraiya calling him for help that had saved him. If he hadn't gotten out of there… he might have died. Even now he hadn't fully recovered yet, so if this demon wanted to fight there would be no way he could defend himself properly. But he couldn't show his weakness; who knew what the Youkai would do to the camp if he was defeated.

Instantly he went into a fighting stance, raising his hands in defense position; he didn't really think he had enough energy to go on the offensive.

Kyuubi could smell the weakness coming off the male, he wasn't in any shape to fight. But something about his stubborn behavior, the willpower he exhibited, got the Kitsune excited even more, everything about him did. If the human was willing to fight, then they would fight. Yet they couldn't do that here, not so close to the human camp, it would only raise suspicion, and Kyuubi only wanted the attention of this human, not the others.

"If you want to fight I know a better place than this; come," he beckoned Minato to follow him.

The general turned around to leave; he could feel the hesitancy in the human, the sweet uncertainty that lingered over him. Yet again just like Kyuubi thought the courage that the human felt overpowered his sense of self-preservation, an act which most would see as stupidity, but the fox found it endearing. He led the blonde through the dense forest, making sure to keep his pace slow so that the male could keep up easily. When he felt the human getting too tired he would wordlessly stop to let him rest; it might seem odd to other demons how much compassion he had for this little fleshy creature. He wasn't exactly known for showing sympathy towards anyone.

He watched wordlessly as the blonde man cupped his hands in a cool brook to drink water; he couldn't help but think that part of the weakness that humans held could be a strength. This determination of his was refreshing.

The blonde was worn out, but he didn't want to stop. He had to get the youkai further away from the human camp. "How much further is it?" the blonde asked, his breathing heavy and laboured.

"Just beyond that outcrop, there is a clearing that overlooks a cliff. It will give us privacy," he pointed to his right.

"Then we should go before the sun rises," Minato replied, standing up wearily.

He was tired, he didn't want to go through with this, but he didn't think he could turn back now. From the one fight he had with the demon he knew that the Kitsune was unpredictable, his fighting style tied in straight with his personality, like a wildfire, ravaging everything in front of it. Minato felt that this fight would probably kill him; he didn't think he had a chance against this youkai, just that he had to try.

So he followed him further through the forest, past the untamed scraggly trees and bushes until they finally reached the clearing. It was a breathtaking sight. The sound was deafening, a roar of a powerful waterfall, and the sheer drop of the cliffs leading to an emerald forest beneath. Minato had never seen land like this, the lightning country was more dry and rocky filled with canyons, such vegetation didn't grow there.

"Where is this?"

"Konohagakure, the village hidden amongst the leaves, or as you would call it..."

"Demon country," Minato whispered in astonishment.

He heard the Kitsune demon give a cruel chuckle. "A crude and simple name, but it's not like it isn't true."

Minato was outraged he was trapped here, the bastard fox had tricked him. Luring him away from the human camp and right into the midst of enemy territory. He curled his fingers into a fist and aimed it at the fox, catching him by surprise. The blonde relished the feel of his fist making contact with soft skin as the fox stumbled back with the force of his attack.

But the general caught himself, giving a vicious growl towards the human and swiping at him in retaliation.

"What the hell?" he growled angrily.

"You bastard, you tricked me!" Minato shouted, quickly forming a jutsu so that a swirling blue ball was in his hand, and charged at the fox.

Kyuubi barely managed to doge it, but the sheer force of the attack nicked at his side, shredding his kimono and cutting him deep in his side. The fox hissed angrily, charging burning chakra to his hands, but Minato was quicker, ducking under the fox's hand and surging up trying to force the pure chakra into the Kyuubi's stomach. But the fox saw the move, grabbing the blonde's arms, pushing them away from his body and swinging him around so that the blonde's back was against his chest.

"Weak little human…" he whispered. "Think you can win?"

Minato lashed back, elbowing the demon in the chest, knocking the air out of the Kitsune. "I'm not weak!" he shouted, taking on a defensive stance again.

Kyuubi clutched his chest, already feeling a bruise forming there. The redhead couldn't help but grin; he didn't know what brought on this sudden attack, but it only managed to excite him further. His blood was literally boiling, thrilling its song so loudly in his ears that he couldn't hear anything else. The lust had to be appeased, and his prey was just waiting for him to sink his teeth into. To taste that human blood on his tongue, and fill his mouth with the tasty substance.

The blonde gulped when he noticed the feral grin on the demon's face.

He almost didn't see the next attack, the fox moved so quickly his eyes couldn't keep up. The punch to his gut left him winded, he was thrown so far back that he was almost thrown off the cliff. But he managed to catch himself against one of the rocks, his shoulders burning with the slam.

Minato hissed in pain; he coughed up some blood, clutching his stomach in pain. He shot a glare at the grinning fox in front of him, growing angrier. He pressed his hands together, fingers moving in rapid forming to reveal the seals on his wrists. There was a loud poofing sound and the smoke dispersed to reveal the two katanas in his hands. He leaned forward, gathering chakra to his feet and running towards the Kitsune with high speed.

Kyuubi fluidly avoided all the swings, letting his body twist and turn, his hand sweeping to the side to the metal aimed at him. He ducked down low and under-swiped him, knocking the blonde off his feet. The redhead moved quickly straddling the human, grabbing his wrists to pin the other to the ground. Minato struggled against him, trying to lift his legs up to overthrow the demon but he couldn't.

He was weak.

The human cursed, but he soon gave up. His limbs feeling as if they were being weighed down by lead. Minato glared up at the demon above him, hating the smug sneer that stretched on his pretty face. Ruby red hair cascading down the sides of his face, fanning around them in a shimmer of red. He felt his breathing shudder when he suddenly noticed how enthralling the effect was on the demon.

Such a cruel, beautiful creature, surrounded by the glow of the moon.

"Are you going to kill me?" he said between laboured breaths. Everything hurt; a quick death would be nice.

The blonde had heard about how demons left their victims alive while they feasted on the entrails. He'd rather not go through that.

The fox looked him up and down. "Maybe."

"If you're going to kill me then just do it," he replied with determination.

The smile was off Kyuubi's face now; he looked at those blazing sapphire blue eyes and considered it. Actually killing the little human. He didn't think he could though, being around him was just too much fun. He lifted the blonde's wrists and slammed them against the ground to dislodge his grip on the katanas; the metal clattered against the dusty ground. Slowly he sat up from the human, taking his time to stand up from the blonde, and stepping away from him.

Minato watched in confusion as the Kitsune youkai slowly walked away from him, wondering if the demon was simply trying to trick him in some way. But the fox paused only a few steps from him and turned around to look at him, something odd glittering in his red eyes.

"Consider this an invitation, we should see each other soon," he said, walking away from him and into the forest.

Minato frowned, why would he want to see that damn demon ever again?

He tried to sit up, his wrists feeling weak from when they were slammed down. They were shaking. Minato looked down at his hands, but then he noticed that it wasn't actually his hands that were shaking but the ground. Minato looked around confused, noticing the shakes getting stronger, then he saw the cracks spreading around him growing rapidly. The cliff was unstable, it was going to fall apart.

He tried to scramble up but his chakra levels were so low that he could hardly manage it, and fell down. Minato panicked that he couldn't get up. He heard before it actually happened, the sounds of the rocks cracking as the ground gave way underneath him. Minato watched as suddenly everything seemed to rush past him, with only the stars above him.

He was falling, and he quickly realized that he had no energy to stop save himself.

He was going to die.

So Minato closed his eyes, simply waiting for the impact. Instead, he felt like he was wrapped in something warm, like someone was holding him. He relished the feel, wondering if his brain was trying to give him a few moments of bliss before it was ripped away from him. So when he opened his eyes he was surprised; instead of seeing a star-filled sky...

He saw red.

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	4. Honour amongst Warriors

_First apologies that I haven't updated in a while, with all my deadlines I forget my fics. Especially this one, it's been so long that I kinda even forgot the plot. Now I'm just trying to piece together the basics of the narrative, in a way that it makes sense. Please enjoy what I have! _

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Chapter 4: Honour amongst Warriors

_Minato watched as suddenly everything seemed to rush past him, with only the stars above him._

_He was falling, and he quickly realized that he had no energy to stop and save himself._

_He was going to die._

_So Minato closed his eyes, simply waiting for the impact. Instead, he felt like he was wrapped in something warm, like someone was holding him. He relished the feel, wondering if his brain was trying to give him a few moments of bliss before it was ripped away from him. So when he opened his eyes he was surprised; instead of seeing a star-filled sky..._

_He saw red._

Minato gasped awake with a start, only to groan and double over in unimaginable pain.

"Wouldn't sit up so quickly, we took quite a long fall."

He turned around quickly only to notice the roaring fire and the figure of the man sitting there with his back turned to him, his long red hair cascading down his back making it look like he was bathed in blood. He must be imagining things; how the hell had they even ended up here? The cliff, he had fallen off the cliff, but… the blonde looked over himself noticing that he had makeshift bandages made out of torn silk covering his chest and arm. There were a couple of bruises littering his body, other than that he didn't have any major injures. Which didn't make any sense, a drop like would have killed him if not left him severely crippled.

His gaze went back towards the youkai whose back was still turned to him; with a grunt he stood up, only to stumble in pain. His back hit against the bark of the tree, and he looked down realising that his ankle was puffed up in an angry red, probably twisted. Minato cursed and steadied himself up before limping towards the quiet youkai; he had some questions for the red-haired bastard. But as he got closer he could feel trepidation growing within him, something bad had happened, something really bad.

In the light of the fire he came to see the demon better, a gasp escaped him when he caught a better sight of him. Half of his head looked almost crushed, the side sunk, concaved in, the eyeball sunken inside the smashed socket. One of his fox-like ears looked slightly torn and folded in an odd angle. The skin around it gashed broken, bleeding and torn. His kimono was shredded and torn just like the flesh underneath in a similar state. He couldn't tear his eyes away from that sight; even though it sickened him, Minato was even sure that he could see his broken ribs and guts poking out. It looked like the demon had slid down that mountain down his side.

Looking further down he noticed the mangled legs that had been messily bandaged up, how had he managed to do that with a broken arm? He looked broken and mangled but still exuded this air of regal strength that could bring anyone down to their knees. Yet the blonde couldn't help but wonder how the demon fox had gotten into this state.

"Don't worry, I'm already starting to heal… how are your wounds?" he asked. Minato barely heard it but his voice was slightly tinged with pain.

"How did this happen?" he asked, completely ignoring the question the demon had asked him.

Red eyes looked towards him, in what he thought must have been intimidation, but with half his skull crushed it didn't have the full effect. So Minato held his ground no matter how much it hurt his chest to be standing upright.

An awkward silence hung between them, until the fox sighed and answer him. "Human bodies are weak…" he said, as if it answered all questions, and slowly turned to look in the direction of the cliff. Minato followed his gaze; at first it wasn't noticeable, but with the rising sun the blonde could make out how near the bottom of the cliff face the jagged ground sloped down into the rough terrain and pooled beneath it.

The blonde noticed how the rocks looks disturbed, split, broken, crumbling, with splatters of blood and shredded cloth. A trail of those remains following the hill until it came to a stop near a river. Something clicked inside the blonde's mind and he came to a sudden realisation. The demon had protected him, used his own body as a buffer against those sharp rocks and certain death. The demon had protected him instead of helping himself, him, a human. He turned to the injured youkai, wondering why he would do something so self-destructive.

Kyuubi, knowing that Minato had figured things out, looked away from the blonde, trying to keep his gaze away from the other. But Minato would have none of that. With some effort he managed to struggle closer to the redhead until he came to a stop right in front of the general youkai. He reached out with his uninjured arm and went to grab him, but Kyuubi was faster and snatched him mid-air. Minato gritted his teeth together in anger.

"Why… why did you…"

The kistune general frowned. "Human bodies are weak," he repeated.

This only managed to enrage the human more. "I'm not weak!" he snapped.

The youkai snorted, and then before Minato even realised it he was released and then the hand was slammed against his bandaged chest. He felt the shock go through his cracked ribcage, knocking the air right out of him. He gasped for air, his body hurt, and staggered back; his foot caught against a rock and he stumbled hard onto the ground.

Kyuubi gave him a smirk, his one good eye telling him silently 'I told you so'.

"Would you rather have died?" he asked. "You should know your limits, little human."

Minato gave him a glare as he used his arm to rub his pained chest. "And you aren't? Just look at you, you're half-dead."

"I won't die," he reasoned, as if it was just that simple.

The blonde hissed and looked away, knowing that talking to the demon would only manage to infuriate him more. He limped away from the silent youkai, trying to figure out his bearings and how to get back to him own camp. From above the cliff he had been able to see out far into the demon country, but this was almost enclosed from all sides by high jagged cliffs. The pool of clear water must either come from an underground pool or rain collection. He couldn't see any kind of route the water came from. Yet this pool seemed to supply the whole cavern; lush plants grew around the area. Blooming wild flowers, and a single strong old Alder Tree stood as a shelter for them. It was pleasant and quiet; a calm air surrounded the area, so shut off from the war torn no-man's land that surrounded it.

It seemed almost strange to Minato that this place hadn't been discovered, and stayed untouched for so long. It was like some sort of sanctuary away from all the troubles outside. But Minato couldn't stay here, he had an army to lead, and staying here wasn't an option. Yet looking at those jagged rocks and knowing his injuries, he also knew he couldn't get out of the canyon. So he was stuck here, with a damn youkai, who could kill him whenever he pleased. Whenever he pleased… like he should have already done…

He sat up, ignoring the twinge from his chest, and turned back to look at the male demon with wide blue eyes. "You could have killed me," he said.

The demon had his eyes closed; when they opened Minato noticed that the collapsed eye socket was almost back in place, so that two ruby orbs stared back at him. "What?"

"Why did you not let me die, you saved me, you treated my wounds. You could have killed me at any time, and stopped this senseless war…" and then with a ragged whisper he finished. "Why didn't you?"

The Kitsune general gave him a thoughtful look. "There is no honour in killing an injured man," he said as if the answer was that simple.

"No honour?" he repeated in disbelief. "Our sides are at war, and you were probably ordered to kill me! Honour does not matter here!"

"No one orders me human, I choose my own path. I fight when I want to fight, and I kill those I choose to kill. There's nothing more to it."

"But the war-!"

"Do you think in all honesty if you were gone it would end?" Kyuubi replied with a snort. "Don't be so naïve, human. There is always someone out there who will take your place. Someone to stand up for 'what they think is right'. I lived long enough to know the nature of both human and youkai… things never change."

Minato cursed, hating how he was undermined; he wasn't a child, he was a grown man. Leader of the Lightning country, but he wasn't inexperienced as to know that things wouldn't simply end if they defeated the demons. It was a constant back and forth between the two sides, when one side was battered down the other would come back stronger. Fighting never solved anything. He remembered the methods his sides had used; attacking during their mating season had been the worst of it. Even if it had been in retaliation of a previous crime, he found it a despicable tactic but the council had already agreed, and the butchery was carried out.

He had hated himself for not doing more to stop the act, it forever haunted him. They were after all mostly vulnerable pregnant submissives and children. The demons got back of course; they raided neutral human farming grounds, killing the people there, destroying crops and livestock. Then another attack by his people were instigated at a merchant caravan that used trade between a small human settlement. The casualties of war got out of hand involving people that didn't have anything to do with the strife of two countries.

It only managed to pull more small settlements between Konoha and Kumogakure in more of the war. The blame continued to get spread, to the point that no one knew who started the whole conflict in the first place. It was getting out of hand and Minato knew that. He glanced at the red-haired demon who had both his eyes closed and had taken a meditative pose, would it heal him faster?

Minato's brows knitted together, "You're an odd one…"

He heard a snort from behind him, "Do you know many of my kind?"

"I know warriors…"

"Then you know that a warrior never attacks someone who is unconscious and injured."

Even if that made sense, he had been brought up thinking youkai were no more than beasts. To hear this 'Kyuubi' speak of honour was somehow odd and refreshing. It was unexpected, and interested him.

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